Columbus residents should monitor the weekend forecast.
Saturday’s Storm Window Opens Late
Saturday begins quietly, with clear skies and temperatures in the low 60s, but conditions become less settled during the afternoon. The chance of showers and thunderstorms reaches about 40% after 4 p.m. and continues through the evening. Some storms could produce gusty or damaging winds, and brief heavy downpours are possible.
Storm chances increase Saturday night, particularly after 11 p.m. Rainfall could total roughly one-quarter to one-half inch. Anyone with outdoor plans should have a way to move indoors as the evening progresses.
Sunday Brings Rain And Storms
Sunday may bring showers and thunderstorms.
Sunday could remain unsettled, with rain and thunderstorms possible. A severe thunderstorm watch and a flood watch are in effect. Short periods of heavy rain could create difficult driving conditions, especially where water drains slowly.
What Past Central Ohio Storms Can—and Cannot—Show
Recent local history illustrates the range of hazards that can accompany thunderstorms, but it does not predict what will happen this weekend. On March 26, 2026, thunderstorms near a southward-advancing front produced hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, including an EF1 tornado near Kenton, Ohio, according to the National Weather Service Wilmington office. That was a separate Thursday event, and the weekend outlook differs from that event.
Another separate example came on May 7–8, 2024, when the National Weather Service Wilmington archive documented tornadoes and flash flooding, including an EF0 tornado east of St. Louisville in Licking County. The event is useful as a reminder that heavy rain and severe weather can occur in central Ohio, but its impacts and setup were different from the weekend outlook.
Rain Chances Continue
Rain is possible Sunday and Monday, while Thursday and Friday may bring mostly cloudy conditions with chances of showers or thunderstorms.
Columbus residents should monitor updated forecasts.
